More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A lorry driver caused a death while driving at 108 mph and within minutes of texting a friend on his mobile phone.
Tests later revealed that Loui Curtis had four different steroids in his body when his BMW 320 smashed into the back of a Toyota Yaris driven by pharmacist Dr Gurpreet Singh Khraund.
The incident happened on the London-bound carriageway of the M2 in the early hours of August 3, 2020, as 43-year-old Dr Khraund was returning to his Rochester home from Canterbury.
The court heard that since the incident HGV driver Curtis is now suffering from PTSD and has made three attempts to take his own life.
At the scene he told another motorist: "It's all my fault" as they attempted to help the victim.
Now Curtis, of Hawbeck Road, Gillingham, has now been jailed for three years and two months after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
At the scene Curtis, a keen bodybuilder, had tried to get into the wrecked Toyota saying: "He has to survive . You can't just leave him there."
Maria Karaiskos, defending, said after the crash Curtis lost his job and is now "a broken man"
"He accepts that he was to blame. He has said he wished that it was him and not the deceased who had died.
"What happened on August 3 was a real tragedy and overwhelmingly unnecessary."
Prosecutor Lucy Luttman told Maidstone Crown Court that at the A249 Sittingbourne turn-off Curtis' vehicle smashed into the rear of the doctor's Toyota.
She said the BMW was doing 108 at the time of the impact and the Toyota, which had been travelling at 40mph, was shunted up the embankment and then into the central reservation.
Ms Luttman said the BMW had become "embedded" in the rear of the Toyota causing it to accelerate by 46.5 mph in just over a tenth of a second.
The prosecutor said there were two BMWs driving at speed shortly before the crash - but there was no evidence they were racing each other.
And although there was evidence that Curtis had sent a Snapchat message minutes before the crash there was no proof he was doing it at the time of the crash, she said.
A motorist following the cars said Curtis' vehicle moved from the middle to the inside lane before "suddenly veering off to the left" and up onto the hard shoulder before climbing the bank and coming across the road.
"A private ambulance which was passing stopped and gave assistance before paramedics arrived. Sadly, despite their attempts, Dr Khround never regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at 1.16 am," the prosecutor added.
Later that day, Curtis failed an impairment test at the hospital and it showed he had four different steroids in his body - although it is not illegal to possess or take them, the prosecutor said.
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Mr Khraund's sisters Amandeep and Sanjeet told the judge he had been a teacher in a deprived inner city area before achieving his doctorate in chemistry.
"Our brother was a private man. He was a devoted son. To those around him he was truly inspirational. Everyday our mother cries for him to come back home.
"His last words were: 'I will be back soon'. Our loss will be a life sentence."
Curtis has also been banned from driving for 57 months.
Investigating officer PC Darren Chapman of Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "Curtis’ dangerous, and reckless behaviour cost the life of an innocent motorist, who was heading home after work.
"Curtis got behind the wheel that night and drove at a grossly excessive speed, whilst also composing a rather pointless message. The speed he was driving caused the victim’s car to be accelerated by 40mph in just one tenth of a second.
"Using a mobile phone at the wheel and speeding is inexcusable and puts other motorists and pedestrians at risk as evidenced in this case.
"His victim’s family have been left devastated and I hope this sentencing offers them some closure."
